Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-25
FROM AUSTIN,
Record for the Week OF the Beings
of the Lawmakers of
the State.
Bills Passed and Bills Proposcd-Work
Good, Bad and Indifterent-Sores,
Gossip and Chatter.
STATE ORPHAN ASYLUM.

AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. 22.-There is a
strong feeling eXtant among a goodly
portion of both houses in favor OF estab-
fishing State Orphan Asylum. Whether
it will materialIZe this session in shape Of
3, legislative enactment is questionable.
LOSS TO THE STATE.
The amount due the state from Charles
Goodnight and twelve others indicted In
unlawful land Enclosure cases amounts
to over $l23 600 in the aggregate.
UNDER TWO FIRES.
Both Houses OF the Legislature were
debating the railroad commission bill at
the same time yesterday. Each House
originsted bill TO create { railroad COM
mission, and they are almost counter
parts in their construction.
Mr.. MCGaugney speaking to the bill in
tac House, said he would notvote to give
such powers to any three men under the
san, as the bill proposed. 1t vas not
democratic to take such matters out Of
the control of the Legislature, and. be-
sides, would cost the state $50, 900
wear Still he was in favor Of a commits
sion, with restricted powers, to go into
the railroad offices and report to The
Legislature so we cOuld leg.Slate on the
subject. He wanted justice to everybody
interested, railroads as well as anybody.
RAILROAD COMMISSION ELL.
Senator Simkins resumed his argument
this morning, being entitled to the floor
when the Senate adjourned yesterday.
He said that Chief Justice Waite of the
United Stetes Supreme court held that
lust and reasonable rates means not be-
low that point where a reasonable COM
peusallon for services is given, that with
out any minimum rates the commission
could not 90 to point Of COnflscation,
that at Gny time when the commission
should declare rates below q reasonable
compensation these roads could swear
out all injunction and test il, that
it would be impossible to TX
regular rates for summer and winter
alike. While everything human was open
TO defects, and while this bill might not
meet 81 the necessities connected with
me regulating q rsiIrOs Is, yet the com
mission system has proved emiuently
successful in Georgia, and he believed
that our Governor could and would Sc
lect three men who can make the plan
laid down in this bui aS successful 10
Texas. lie said tina the Interstate GrlH-
merce law wDulG regulate lUGG E&u.S, out
it required Il safe commission TO correct
the evils OF the short haul discrinErA-
tons. Commerce is the lifs-bloOd OF the
nation, and should railroads without re-
st,iction stop TIE healthy tiow of that
blood by pooling under the long ana short
haul system? He said the very idea Of
the appointment of an interstate
commission has given con-
ti.ence and stability to those
enterprises that have heretofore been
subject to the fuc, uatlons of railroad dis
examinations. He illustrated by citing
where the railroads in Georgia
disseminated against the people Of
r )me, Ga by the shart haul sys-
TEN so that -four could be shipped
from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Atlanta cheaper
than from Atlanta TO Rome in the same
state. That the commission went to the
railroads and pat stop to it, and now
there are no such Determinations and
just SO could we briBg about the same
justice. He said general laws would
never reach the evil, and with
out a commission our towns could
be destroyed with impuHity. 1t has
been done and is being done under the
general law passed in this state In 1888.
lie dwelt on its cOnstitutionaliiv as
questioned By the opposition. He SAID
that the case cited BY them had no
relevancy, but only decided where the
constitution prescribed an agency. The
Legislature has no power to change that
agency. He C impaired the constitution
of Georgia with that Of T4Xss and claimed
that they were identiCally the same in
intent.
PAYMENTS ON SCHOOL LANDS.
Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, Feb. 23 Senator CAL
hour, speaking in favor of the bill to ex-
tend the time Of the payment of the pur-
chase money on school lands, said that no
tide passed from the state to the settler
upon these lands until all the terms of the
purchase were complied with; therefore,
he believed that so long as the settlers
paid up their interest they should be al
/ lowed to occupy the lands until they be-
came able to pay for them, as he under
stood all the men who were on these
lands were actual settlers.
Senator Houston thought as the statute
OF limitation did not run against the state,
no injury could possibly De done to the
rights of the state by extending the time
for the payment of the purchase money
on these lands.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION BILL.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the railroad commission bill. Some
minor amendments were made to sections
g and of the bill by Senators Gregg and
Burney that met with some opposition,
but were finally adopted.
Senator Mcdonald then offered to
amend by adding section II, the substance
of which was to prevent the railroads
from granting free passes and to pay half
Of the fines on conviction to au informant.